1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing method, apparatus and system.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, with the advent of ever more powerful computers, real time tracking of objects using a video camera has become more achievable. Furthermore, such systems may be used to combine real images with virtual images so as to generate augmented reality images and produce a content-rich media experience for a user.
Augmented reality is increasingly being used in video game systems. Typically, a three-dimensional virtual world may be generated by an entertainment device and combined with real images captured by the camera, which are typically two-dimensional, so as to generate the augmented reality images. For example, a user may interact with a computer generated object by causing inter-image motion (for example by moving their hand) to occur in an image region of the augmented reality images near the computer generated object. The entertainment device can then detect the inter-image motion and cause the computer generated object to react accordingly.
However, if there are many image regions of the augmented reality images in which inter-image motion occurs, for example if several users are all waving their hands within a field of view of the camera, it may be difficult for the entertainment device to determine with which image region it should cause the computer generated object to interact. This can impair a gaming experience for a user because the user may not be able to cause the computer generated object to interact at a position intended by the user.